


4AM

by Angel170



Series: Spn Fluff Bingo 2019 [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Don’t copy to another site, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Inspired By Tumblr, M/M, SPN Fluff Bingo 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-07-08 01:09:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19861060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angel170/pseuds/Angel170
Summary: I have a friend who likes to text me at 4am when he’s had nightmares or he can’t sleep or he just needs a friend. He thinks I’m always awake at 4am but really I go to bed around 12am and I change his text-tone to the loudest one I have just so it wakes me up when he needs me. He is no longer texting me at 4am. Not because we no longer speak but because the nightmares have stopped. He and I both are in a much better place. Most often the only times he’s waking me up at 4am is when he’s pulling me closer to him while we sleep. He’s more than a friend now and I’m forever thankful to have him.





	4AM

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was inspired by a tumblr post but i wont link to it. Ill explain why at the end.
> 
> Thank you to [thinkwritexpress](https://thinkwritexpress-official.tumblr.com/) for beta-ing. Words can't express how much I appreciate the help.

  
‘Err err err…. err err err’

Clark hit the alarm on his phone and sat up, rubbing his eyes and ignoring the still-lit screen saying 4am. College was hard, but by trying to keep to a somewhat consistent schedule he’d been able to juggle school and campus life pretty easily. The first two years had gone well, and while he wasn’t making the dean's list, he had passed all his classes and most importantly learned and understood what had been taught.

He had made friends quickly and was generally well-liked across the different student groups, but he still kept a small, close, core group of friends, three of which he had gotten a three-bedroom apartment with. Todd - “no last name because that’s how the government controls you”- had one room and Jesse Turner moved from a pull-out in the living room to Kevin Tran's old room when Kevin became an RA in the dorms this year. It was a paid job that came with a free solo room, so Clark couldn’t blame the upperclassman for taking it.

His best friend, Jack, was actually the reason for his early wake-up. It had all started the beginning of the school year when there had been an assignment in one of Jack’s elective courses. He had to sign up for a DNA program to show how, as humans, we’re all one, or something to that effect. Except that it showed that he and his father weren’t a match. His father, who was running for congressional house speaker, was blasted all over the media outlets as not being Jack’s biological father.

It wasn’t a secret that Jefferson Rooney and Kelly Kline-Rooney had used artificial insemination to conceive. In fact, it was one of Jefferson’s public issues stances, fighting for more research into women’s health, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, and making testing easier and cheaper. But apparently there had been a mix-up at the lab and Kelly was inseminated with someone else’s baby juice. Now Jack called every night with nightmares about his father abandoning him, or losing his future presidential election, and the worst were the nightmares about his biological father being a mass murderer and coming after him. Those usually warranted a visit to Jack’s dorm and an impromptu sleepover. It wasn’t always a nightmare; more often than not it was stress over his life choices and wanting to make his father proud while navigating all the self-doubt that came from discovering his creation had been due to an accidental mixup.

‘Help! I need somebody, help! Not just anybody. Help!’

The Beatles song help blasted from his phone, Jack’s smiling face and the words “Nougat Boy” flashed on the caller ID before he hit accept.

“Hey Jack.”

“Clark, am I making the right decision about staying with early childhood education? Shouldn’t I look into politics, or at least law school? I mean Dad was so sad that I turned down Harvard, maybe if I at least get his same degrees he’ll be proud?”

“Come on Jackie, your dad loves you man. And because he loves you, he wants you to be happy and accepts that means that you’ll be your own person. You don’t have to be his clone to gain his approval, you already have his heart. You’re his son.”

Jack’s voice was soft and low as he responded sadly, “I know, I just want to make it up to him. They never tried for a second kid, he’ll never get the chance to have a blood child. I took his chance away.”

“No, no Jack. Your dad loves you, he became a father because of you. And, he’s the best damn father I’ve ever known. Blood means nothing, and even finding out his spunk got switched he still loves and treats you the same. This didn’t change his love for you. He’s not even thinking about this, so why are you?” Clark growled back.

“I just feel like I owe him. Like I should make more of an effort.” Clark could perfectly envision Jack’s sad puppy dog face, but he pushed the image aside.

“An effort to what? Be a better son? I’ve seen you Jack, your parents have never denied you anything and instead of being spoiled you’re the most thoughtful, selfless, charitable guy I know.”

“They denied me candy, I never even had a chocolate bar until I met you.”

Clark’s lip lifted into a smirk, “Nougat addiction aside, I really don’t think you should be making yourself crazy over this. Your dad loves you and he doesn’t blame you, so you don’t need to make it up to him by trying to live his life.”

“Okay, yeah you’re probably right.”

“I’m definitely right. Besides I know how much you love working with kids. And I for one plan on sending my little hellions to Jack’s school for little candy bars.”

The loud laugh coming through the phone was all Clark needed to know the hard part of the morning's call was over.

“Did I tell you about the video with the teacher that let her kids choose how to be greeted?” Jack asked, sounding happier and more like himself.

Clark settled back into bed, making himself comfortable but not enough to fall back to sleep.

“No, you didn’t. Tell me about her, I’m sure it’s something you’ll want to implement when you open up your school.”

“Ok so there were three photos on the wall before the class door. A high five, hug, and wave. The class was lined up single file and each kid would hit which photo they wanted and the teacher complied. One kid even asked verbally for a fist bump. I think that’s so simple but so genius and also teaches the kids consent.”

****

Jesse side-eyed Clark as he came out of his room and headed straight for the coffee maker. His hair was disheveled and the bags under his eyes were darker than normal.

“You know Barker, if you just shoot your shot with the Kline kid you two could be bunking together instead of staying up all night having phone sex.” Jesse teased, his lip lifted in a smirk before he sipped his coffee.

“Blow me Turner.” Clark mumbled resolutely, ignoring the laughter from his friend and roommate. “And it’s not phone sex, I told you he has trouble sleeping.”

“Yeah, I know it’s not phone sex. My room is next to yours and the walls are thin, I’d hear if it was actually anything interesting. I’m not a fan of the alarm by the way.”

“Shit man, I’m sorry. You think Todd would switch rooms with me?”

Jesse raised a brow and stared down his sleepy friend. “You would rather risk the wrath of Todd by asking to switch rooms than just telling Jack to knock it off with the phone calls? Dude, seriously, just ask the guy out. The UST is reaching Good Omens level and you never wanna go full Crowley.”

“You were on Tumblr last night weren’t you?”

“I needed my ship fix, what can I say? But don’t deflect- I’m right, you’re wrong and too tired to actually argue, I want to enjoy this.”

Rinsing out his cup Clark smiled at his friend before tousling Jesse’s hair on his way out of the kitchen. “No thank you, got class.”

  
****

It was nearly a week later when everything changed. Jack had come over to relax with Clark and play Smash Brothers on his Switch. It was the last day of the week for their classes, meaning neither boy needed to get up early the next morning, so Clark had brought out the rum and poured them both a glass mixed with Coke. Both boys were pleasantly buzzed when they got tired and decided to just bunk together on Clark’s bed. A warning thought niggled in Clark’s head but he was too buzzed to force his mind to clear, especially when Jack cuddled closer to him, laying his head on Clark’s shoulder. He turned to breathe in the scent of the younger boys shampoo and drifted off to a well deserved sleep.

‘Err err err…. err err err’

Jack groaned as he turned to turn off Clark’s phone. Jesse banged on their shared wall.

“He’s fucking sleeping there, turn off the damn alarm. Some of us have shitty diner jobs we have to go to in the morning.”

Clark smacked his hand against the wall in retribution, but tried to ignore what was said.

“Clark, why do you have such an early alarm?” Jack asked suspiciously.

The older boy felt his cheeks grow warm as Jack stared at him, his blue eyes shining in the dark, demanding the truth.

“Can I be honest?”

“Always.”

“Without you freaking out?” he asked with a raised brow.

“I can’t promise that.” Jack pushed himself up into a sitting position that Clark mirrored. “I can only promise to hear you out and not outwardly freak out.”

“Okay, so, I knew you were freaking out over the paternity issues with your dad and I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed it before but you always call at the same time every morning. So I put my alarm to wake me up before your calls so I’m awake enough to answer and help you.”

“Clark, you didn’t need to do that. You should have told me, I never wanted to burden you.” Jack responded softly.

“You’ve never been, nor will you ever be, a burden to me, Jack. You’re, well, you’re pretty much everything to me.”

“What are you saying?”

Clark struggled to respond. His fear of rejection was outweighed by the fear of his friendship changing and losing his closeness with Jack.

“He’s saying he’s in love with you, now kiss so I can go back to sleep!” Jesse yelled through the wall.

“Um, yeah, that.” He had no proof but Clark was sure his entire face was red from embarrassment.

Blessedly for Clark’s nerves and Jesse’s sleep, Jack took pity on his best friend and pressed a kiss to his lips. The boys wrapped their arms around each other and fell back to bed, trading soft, unhurried kisses.

The start of the next school year found Clark still in his shared apartment, Jesse still in the room down the hall with Clark in Todd’s old room. He still wasn’t making the dean’s list, but his grades and health had improved due to getting more sleep. He no longer had to schedule his alarm to wake up at 4:30am to receive Jack’s call and talk him down from his anxiety and fears. No, Jack was now seeing a counselor and getting professional help while also having open and honest discussions with his parents. Jack still had the occasional nightmare, but instead of calling he would snuggle up closer to Clark as his boyfriend - and now roommate- wrapped his arms around him and sent Jack back to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> To start off thanks for reading hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> The reason I won't link to the post is because the person who wrote it has 1 changed their tumblr. And 2 the person who was texting them at 4am turned into an abusive asshat and even though there are numerous posts asking to stop asking about the guy or if they are still together people still send asks wanting to know the dirt. I find this very disrespectful and while I know my dear readers would never do this I'd like to try and protect this person from having to think of a negative time.
> 
> Hopefully knowing this doesn't take away from the fic since this is a work of fiction but thats another reason I saved this for the end.
> 
> As always kudos and comments are lifeblood. 
> 
> My newborn is now a year old but still very much a mommies girl so time to myself to escape into writing is slow going. But im still here, still writing and reading even with the show ending. Au's and ships are forever bitches lol


End file.
